Next iPhone may be able to boost other devices with two-way wireless charging

iPhone XS Max
Image Credit: TechRadar

Wireless charging has been a major feature on Apple's iPhone line up for the last few generations, but it seems the company may have a new innovation to make the feature even more interesting. 

In a new report, trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo - a source who is often right on all things Apple - has said he believes the company will adopt a feature called "bilateral" wireless charging with the new iPhone range.

That would essentially allow your iPhone to act as the wireless charging pad itself, sharing its battery power with other devices such as another phone - as long as it supports Qi wireless charging - or other accessories.

Rumors for Apple AirPods 2 suggest the next-gen headphones may support wireless charging, so it would make sense if you're able to share the battery from your iPhone with your headphones when they're running low.

Two-way wireless charging is a feature we've previously seen on the Huawei Mate 20 Pro. Whether Apple will allow you to charge any device using the two-way wireless charging feature is unclear; it may be this is restricted to other Apple products.

This all comes from a research note that Kuo sent to clients - which was spotted by AppleInsider - where he also mentions that he believes the next generation of iPhones will stick with Lightning connectors at the bottom rather than switching to USB-C, like last year's iPads did.

That matches with a previous rumor we've heard, but it's worth bearing in mind that not everything Kuo predicts always becomes reality so take everything here with a big pinch of salt.

Other rumors from the report include a new frosted glass design as well as ultra-wide band connectivity that allows for improved indoor positioning. Whether that will be harnessed through AR experiences, mapping or both remains to be seen.

There are also camera rumors, including a triple-lens shooter on the rear of the top-end model, while the sequel to the iPhone XR may be set to jump up to 4GB of RAM instead of 3GB.

James Peckham

James is the Editor-in-Chief at Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.